originally posted on 8/28/2024
All media: Courtesy Lost Island Theme Park. View full-sized image.
Members attending the ACE Preservation Conference in the Midwest enjoyed a special treat once having arrived at Lost Island Theme Park (Waterloo, Iowa) — the announcement of a new coaster for the 2025 season. To be located in the Mura (Fire) section of the new-and-growing park, Fire Runner will be only the sixth of Rocky Mountain Construction’s (RMC) single-rail creations in North America — the others being the prototypes at Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio) and California’s Great America (Santa Clara), Jersey Devil Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey), Wonder Woman Flight of Courage at Six Flags Magic Mountain (Valencia, California) and 2021’s Stunt Pilot at Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho).
According to Lost Island Theme Park General Manager Eric Bertch, many different coaster models were considered, including a Boomerang, mine train, Steeplechase and even RMC’s new Wild Moose concept (as unveiled in a previous issue of ACE News). The decision was made based on the uniqueness of the Raptor concept, which will integrate well into the park’s backstory.
“The Fire Runner Competition is a very prestigious event,” elaborated Bertch on the coaster’s name. “Participants will enter a lava tube decorated with flags to reach the starting line pavilion. Relics from former Fire Runners will line the queue, and winners of the race will have a chance to wear the ceremonial aniku as they exit.”
True to form, Fire Runner’s train will feature theming to tie it into Lost Island Theme Park’s story.
View full-sized image.
Continued Bertch: “All of our major ride selections were primarily based on what popular attractions were missing in this part of the country. The Raptor was an easy choice because it was unexpected, and Lost Island is all about exceeding expectations.”
For its installation, Lost Island opted to replicate the success of RMC’s original design.
“The standard Raptor is a thrilling ride from the time you board and until you exit,” said RMC President Darren Torr. “It’s a people mover with a small footprint that is also very economical.”
Those having visited the country’s newest large-scale theme park have noted lower-than-expected attendance — particularly disappointing because of the level of effort and detail that went into crafting something uncommon in the realm of medium-sized amusement parks. However, Bertch is optimistic about Lost Island’s future.
“Attendance is slowly increasing. We attribute positive word-of-mouth to the majority of that increase,” he explained. “Marketing has become challenging with so many platforms constantly throwing ads [at potential customers]. One small thing we hope will grow attendance is [the announcement of a new roller coaster] for 2025.”
ACE has been a supporter of the park since its announcement (see ACE News, “Lost Island Theme Park Opens,” July 8, 2022), and the organization continued exhibiting faith in the park by selecting it as co-host of this year’s preservation conference along with Adventureland (Altoona, Iowa) and Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri). Owing to this, it made sense for Lost Island to announce Fire Runner to ACEers present at the event in August.
Said Bertch, “ACE members are our biggest supporters and fans, and we felt it was the perfect opportunity to introduce Lost Island to visitors from 33 states who would be the perfect ambassadors to spread the word about this exciting announcement.”
— Rob Ascough, ACE News Editor
#ACENews